How to Increase Warehouse Capacity and Picking Efficiency
Make 2025 the year you increase warehouse capacity and picking efficiency with these tips from the experts at Voss Equipment in Chicago.
01/16/2025
If you’re managing a warehouse or distribution center, order fulfillment speed and accuracy are the keys to your success. But as SKU counts and order demands increase, it becomes a balancing act, as optimizing for space often leads to decreased efficiency and vice versa. Here’s how to increase warehouse capacity and picking efficiency so you can improve your business.
Utilize a Low-Level Order Picker
A low-level order picker is a type of lift truck that is somewhere between a conventional pick vehicle and a pallet truck. Because low-level order pickers feature an adjustable platform, they create an expanded “golden zone” for increased slotting opportunities. Not only does the additional range allow for quicker and more efficient order picking, but low-lever order picker lift trucks can also come with longer forks, so that operators can pick multiple pallets a time.
Experiment with Slot Profiles
Because of their extended range, low-level order pickers enable warehouses, distribution centers, and fulfillment centers to experiment with different slot profiles. Whether you’re turning two slots to four slots or fifteen slots to twenty-five, the multi-level forklift capabilities allow you to expand your slots vertically for optimized picking. This means creating additional warehouse capacity with more workable space, which allows for SKU growth without increasing the size of your facility.
Get Results Today
According to a white paper by Yale, utilizing a low-level order picker in tandem with a re-slotting strategy helped companies increase pick positions, reduce travel time, reduce operators and equipment needed, and eliminate the need for a VNA planned inventory retrieval system.
Ready to upgrade your equipment to increase warehouse capacity and order picking efficiency? Voss Equipment dealers throughout Chicago offer a huge selection of forklifts for sale, including low-level order pickers. We also offer warehouse solutions and telemetry services to help you get the most out of your space and your equipment. In the meantime, check out our blog where we cover forklift attachments for your warehousing, production, or distribution company and important warehouse operations metrics and how to use them.